Guy Code
by Fallen Ark Angel
Summary: Jake finds out that Eli's stolen his girl and he is less than thrilled. One-shot. Takes place during the book.


**Not sure where this would happen in the book, as it's been awhile since I read the thing cover to cover, but it's definitely after the party and before Eli and Auden fall asleep in his bed. Takes place sometime when they were just focusing on the quest. I just think Jake would be kind of pissed about Eli and Auden and the book just kind of glosses over that, you know? **

Guy Code

"How dare you?"

Eli frowned, glancing up to find his brother storming into the back of the shop. "What are you-"

"Amy? How could you be sleeping with Amy?"

"Amy?"

"Yes! That tourist chick. The one that's related to Heidi." Jake let out a huffy breath. "You know that we slept together. She's mine."

Blinking, Eli shook his head before turning back to the bike he was working on. "Auden. Her name is Auden."

"Her name isn't important."

"If you're about to turn on your own brother, I think it is."

Having lost some of his fire, Jake let his crossed arms fall though his rage still showed on his face. "This is a direct violation guy code. Bros before hoes, Eli."

"Jake, you can chill. I didn't sleep with her."

"Bullshit."

"I didn't. Nor do I plan to."

"But everyone says that-"

"We hang out at night, sure, but so what?"

Jake still stood there, glaring at his brother. "She was mine."

"She doesn't like you. And, really, you don't like her. So knock it off, huh?"

"I would never be with Belissa."

"Yeah, because she's too good for you."

"How dare-"

"Would you calm down?" He finally stood, shaking his long black hair out of his face as he did so. "Who even told you about Auden and me? Huh?"

"Everyone."

"Jake."

"Mom asked me who this new girl is that you've been seeing and I said I didn't know. Then Adam told me that it was my girl."

"She's not your girl, Jake."

"The hell she isn't. I _slept_ with her. That makes her mine. M-I-N. Mine!"

"E. You forgot-"

"I graduated, Eli. I don't have to know how to spell anymore."

The two brothers had a glaring match for a moment, the oldest not even sure why he was so upset. Jake was right, really. He had slept with Auden first. First come, first serve. But still… This was the first girl he'd really thought about dating since Belissa. Was it really fair that he had to give her up just because Jake screwed her? It wasn't like Jake and her would work out. At all. Auden and Eli though…he felt like they could go somewhere. Together.

"I'm sorry, alright?" Slowly, Eli moved sit on one of the stools they had in the back. "I didn't mean to…Jake…"

"Don't turn this around on me, Eli. You're the one that's stepping on my toes."

"I know. I really am sorry."

"Just knock it off and we're even."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because…Jake…I really do like her, alright?" He stared into his little brother's eyes. "And I know she's too young for me and I know that she's going away to college soon, but I still like her. I can't help it."

"I like her too. And I called dibs. So she's mine."

'No, Jake, you don't like her."

"Do too."

"No. You want to sleep with her."

"That's liking a girl."

"No, that's lusting after a girl. Very different."

"What makes it so different? Huh?"

"It's…" Eli looked off, sighing. "You like the way she looks or the thought of having sex with her. Which is fine. But me, I like that and other things."

"Like what?"

"I like talking to her, Jake. I like that she likes hanging out with me. I like when we're in my truck together. I like how awkward she is around me. And I really like that I finally, finally have someone that doesn't feel sorry for me all the time, that pushes me, that doesn't know me, but wants to get to know me. That's what I like."

Slowly, his younger brother came to sit on the stool next to his. It was silent between the two of them for a minute or so. Looking at the ground, the younger boy asked, "So you really do like her, huh?"

"I do." He turned to look at her brother. "This is the first time since Belissa that I've even _thought_ about being with another girl. I mean, God, do you really like her that much? Really? That you want me to give that up?"

"No," his brother groaned, kicking his feet back and forth. "Of course not. It's just…I liked her too, Eli."

"I know, buddy," he said, patting his brother on the shoulder. "But you need a girl like you."

"Auden's like you then?"

"No, but she's closer to being like me than she is to being like you."

"She's not that hot," Jake reasoned. "She's okay and everything, but I could do better."

Eli knew that he was only taking digs now to save his own pride and figured he should just let him. He had taken the other guy's girl after all. "She's not hot, no, but she's pretty."

"She's not ugly," Jake corrected.

"No, she's not."

"I could see you guys together, I guess. More than her with me. I need a hot girl. You know?"

"I know."

Smiling at his older brother, Jake said, "She wasn't that good of a fuck anyways."

"Jake-"

"She bled."

"Bled what?"

"Eli."

"…Really? Like she was a-"

"Yeah."

"Jake!" He hit him in the arm. "Dude, that's freaking sick. God."

"Like I was supposed to know?"

"Now she's gonna be all hung up on that. Thanks a fucking lot."

"Who the hell is still a virgin after, like, sixteen?"

"A lot of people."

"She's a freak," Jake finally said, jumping back up. "Yeah, good thing I'm done with her. When you pop a girl's cherry, she's all weird afterwards. You know? So yeah, you take her. Don't want her anyways."

Eli smiled, knowing his brother was just hiding his anger over this. "Thanks, Jake."

"Nothing to thank me about. I should be thanking you, really."

"Just promise that you're gonna be cool about this, alright? If it works out between me and Auden, I don't want you being weird or anything."

"What do you mean if?"

"We haven't really…we're just friends right now."

"The two of you really aren't sleeping together?"

"No," Eli said, shaking his head. "I told you that. We're just hanging out."

"Do you, like, think it's going anywhere then?"

"I hope so."

"You've got Belissa all freaked."

"What do you mean?"

"Wallace and Adam were talking about how Auden and her got into it at a party or something."

"Oh. That."

"Yeah, that."

Eli smirked slightly. "Auden's…something. You know?"

No. Not really. Honestly, Jake thought her name was Amy until he walked in there. Instead of voicing this, he just nodded as he headed out of the back.

"Yeah, bro."

"She- Hey! You were supposed to work today," Eli called after him, suddenly remembering this fact.

"And you weren't supposed to sleep with my girl," his younger brother responded as he continued on out of the bike shop. "Later bro."

"Jake!"


End file.
